Coach Kenneth "Kenny" Wendell Yates

Kenneth “Kenny” Wendell Yates went to be with Jesus, our Lord and Savior, on April 24, 2024. He will be remembered as a devoted father, husband, brother, mentor, friend, and coach. He will live on through his wife, Tricia Yates, daughters, Bernadette Sconyers and Rachael Yates, son, Cameron Yates, and grandchildren, Jameson Sconyers and Jodelle Sconyers. He is survived by his sister, Kim McKinnie, brothers, Thomas Yates and Rod Yates, and many extended family members. His memory will endure through extended family, fellow coaches and friends, the young men and women he has coached and mentored throughout his career, and his dogs, Grace and Ginger.
Kenny was born on February 5, 1965, to Dolores and Tom Yates, and raised in Hurst, Texas. From an early age, he showed a strong interest in sports, specifically basketball, and played on the varsity basketball team at L.D. Bell High School. During his sophomore year, he started at point/shooting guard with the team, which finished as conference champions, and ranked top ten in the country. In his senior year, his team won the 4-5A district championship and advanced in the playoffs. His high school accolades included First Team All-District, All Tarrant County, All-Region, and he was selected and participated in his region’s East/West All Star game.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and his master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Christian University. Throughout Kenny’s career, he wore many different professional hats including teacher, coach, athletic director, and assistant principal. His coaching career began at The Oakridge School in Arlington Texas where he coached multiple sports and served as the athletic director. While teaching and coaching at The Oakridge School, Kenny met and later married his Tricia. They would go on to have two children, Cameron and Rachael.
Kenny went on to teach and coach basketball at Coppell ISD, White-Settlement ISD, Birdville ISD, and All Saints Episcopal School of Fort Worth. Over the last seven years, he served as the Head Basketball Coach at The Happy Hill Farm/North Central Texas Academy. He was an educator for twenty-nine years while also coaching select basketball in the summers for Team Texas and Texas Express boys’ and girls’ teams. For twenty-one years, Kenny served as the President and Director of Operations of the Texas Express Basketball Club (a non-profit AAU affiliated club). More than 15 of those he also spent directing Opportunity For Youth Tournaments, which he and his wife both founded. Kenny positively impacted hundreds of lives and was approaching 700 wins as a coach.
He was a steadfast provider to his family, passionate coach, mentor, and ardent basketball fan. Kenny’s love for his family, his altruism, service, and commitment to providing opportunities for young men and women (through basketball, life lessons, and education) were hallmarks of his life. “Coach Yates” was known as a second father to so many of his students and athletes. Kenny was also known for his resilient mind, compassion, competitive spirit, witty sense of humor, devotion to helping young people pursue their dreams, and most importantly, living out his love for his family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kenny’s honor to one of the following charities: Lena Pope Home of Fort Worth; The Happy Hill Farm of Glen Rose; or The Texas Express Basketball Scholarship Fund (College Scholarships). Coach Yates’ legacy will continue, and our hope is that many young men and women will continue to “pay it forward”.